Two spots up for grabs in London
Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner (BCLP) has created two industry-specific training contracts in financial services and real estate.
The new pathways, which operate alongside the firm’s traditional TC programme, see rookies undertake four sector specific seat options, one of the four seats being compulsory.
For aspiring finance lawyers this means a mandatory stint in BCLP’s finance transactions practice, with further optional seats in corporate transactions; energy, environment and infrastructure; financial services disputes & investigations; tax; technology, commercial and government affairs; and real estate finance.
Budding real estate lawyers will complete a compulsory seat in the firm’s real estate team, with further options in planning and zoning; commercial construction; tax; investment management; real estate disputes; and real estate finance.
Both routes also offer the potential to complete an international or client secondment related to the sector, the firm said.
“We remain committed to offering tailored and different career paths for emerging talent and these new sector-specific opportunities will strengthen our talent attraction for aspiring lawyers who have a clear sector interest,” said senior graduate recruitment & development manager Chloe Muir. “Many trainees won’t know which practice they want to pursue on joining BCLP, but we also understand that for some future trainees, they already have a clear practice or sector in mind.”
BCLP confirmed there will initially be two training contracts up for grabs — one in financial services and one in real estate — and both will be based in London.
The Legal Cheek Firms Most List shows BCLP recruits around 35 aspiring lawyers each year through its standard training contract programme. Trainees in London receive a salary of £44,000 in year one and £48,000 in year two, while pay for newly qualified associates sits at a recently improved rate of £88,000. Rookies on the sector specific pathway will receive the same levels of pay.
Separately, BCLP announced the launch of a new innovation seat as part of its traditional TC pathway. The first will be in the firm’s core real estate team in London this September, with plans to expand across other departments in time.
The seat option will see trainees undertake “deep dives on various technology platforms”, review problem statements and create “engineered solutions”, as well as undertake a practical project.
Global chief innovation officer Katie DeBord said:
“We are extremely excited to launch this new programme, part of a broader set of initiatives, designed to increase further collaboration between the practice groups and our Innovation Team. The skills the trainees learn during this seat will have an immediate impact for them, and also equip them to be invaluable members of our broader Innovation Champions network as they progress in their careers.”
